Suchovenator
| image = Araripe-spinosaur julio-lacerda.jpg | image_caption = Hypothetical reconstruction of Suchovenator preying on an Anhanguera pterosaur | image_width = 240px | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordata | classis = Sauropsida | clade1 = Dinosauria | ordo = Saurischia | subordo = Theropoda | familia = †Spinosauridae | subfamilia = †Spinosaurinae | genus = †''Suchovenator'' | genus_authority = | type_species = Suchovenator sarchophagus | type_species_authority = | synonyms = }} Suchovenator (meaning "crocodile hunter") is a dubious genus of spinosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil in the Araripe Basin. Discovered in 2004, this genus is barely known and the holotype specimen, a fragmentary tibia, is likely just an Oxalaia or Irritator fragment. The type species is Suchovenator sarcophagus. Similar to Alamotyrannus, this genus has not been officially determined to be valid, but most likely is a new species of an existing spinosaurid genus; possibly Irritator. Like Alamotyrannus, it is awaiting confirmation. Palaeobiology Description A broken leg bone, a tibia, from Araripe Basin in northeastern Brazil might reveal more about the Spinosaurinae family. The two continents may now be an ocean apart, but these separated cousins are a reminder of a time when the two landmasses were joined back in the Early Cretaceous Period. Though incomplete, this particular fossil tells an interesting story about South American spinosaurs. First of all, a slice of this bone reveals that the animal was heavy-boned. The wall of the bone has thickened, leaving very little gap in the middle that’s typical of land-dwelling dinosaurs. Another notable quality about this fossil is its size. When compared to other spinosaurs, it’s likely that this particular animal was around 10 meters (33 feet) in life, making it among the largest spinosaurs found in South America. Interestingly, the bone’s structure suggests that the animal wasn’t fully mature at the time of its death, so it could have grown even larger had it lived longer. In life, the animal would have patrolled a coastal lagoon rich in fishes and other marine creatures. Unlike Spinosaurus, however, it wasn't have to compete with other large predatory theropods on land or large crocodylmorphs on water, making it the potential and the sole apex predator of its environment; similiar to Irritator. Although it lived with animals like pterosaurs and crocodilians, their size differences allowed them to coexist by either taking on different prey objects, and/or the pterosaurs and smaller crocodilians being potential prey item to the spinosaurid. Validity At this point, it’s hard to tell the true identity of the animal based on a single bone. In the area, there are two different spinosaurs recognized by paleontologists, named Irritator and Angaturama. To make things complicated, Irritator's skull is missing its snout, while Angaturama is only known from a broken snout. This minimum overlap prevents paleontologists from telling with certainty whether Irritator and Angaturama belonged to the same species or not, let alone comparing them with a broken leg fossil. Suchovenator could also be put in a similar situation as Angaturama. This unfortunate situation seems to be a common issue in the region, where most of the fossils are unearthed illegally. When they end up in a researcher’s hands, not much is known about where exactly they came from and the environment the fossils are found in. Again taking into the consideration that this is a small broken fossil, there isn't a guaranteed chance that Suchovenator is actually a real genus. However, the fact that further examinations on the fossil haven't been done since its discovery to determine if it indeed is valid, Suchovenator's existence cannot be completely ruled out. Regardless, this broken fossil helps us piece together the life history of the iconic sail-backed dinosaurs. By looking into several other spinosaur fossils from the region that haven’t been studied, we will one day get to know their family even better. Category:Apex predators Category:Semiaquatic reptiles Category:Spinosaurids Category:Large Carnivores Category:Carnivores Category:Cretaceous dinosaurs Category:Cretaceous Period Category:Cretaceous animals Category:Prehistoric animals of Africa Category:Extinct animals of Africa Category:Dinosaurs of Africa Category:Cretaceous theropods Category:Theropods Category:Large Carnivore Category:Large Animals Category:Theropoda Category:Rare Category:Bizarre Dinosaurs Category:Crested dinosaurs Category:Aquatic Creatures Category:Fish eaters Category:Prehistoric animals Category:Taxonomic lists (genera, alphabetic) Category:Prehistoric Life Category:Reptiles Category:Amphibious Theropods Category:Large Spinosaurids Category:Dubious genera Category:Nomina dubia Category:Unconfirmed